The start time for me was 3am at Greendale Mines to be
in position for the first teams through at about 3.30 am.

An early alarm call was the order of the day !

Greenside Mines from the track up the valley.

Considering I couldn't see anything through the viewfinder
I'm amazed the camera was even pointing in the right direction.

A little tweak on photoshop has lightened the image so
at least it is recognisable to me !

Heading up one of the old mine roads.

The dogs appeared totally confused as to why they were
here at all !

They had had even less sleep than I did last evening as
Ann and the dogs stayed up for some time after my early departure to bed.

Our marshalling point at the bottom of the Keppel Cove
zig-zags.

My job was to check the seven teams through and to offer
help if required.

Harry and Bethan were still confused as to what their
job was !

The Challenge Teams had walked Ben Nevis yesterday afternoon
and had chosen Helvellyn in preference to Scafell Pike as their Cumbrian
3000 ft peak.

As day broke, several of the teams had already passed
me (no photos due to darkness) and were well on their way down to Glenridding,
for breakfast and to climb into their mini-buses ready and waiting for
the drive to North Wales.

As day broke, the weather took a turn for the worse, the
cloud began to lower and the specks of rain turn into occasional heavy
showers.

A longer gap between the later teams and a break between
rain showers allowed me to stretch my legs.

The dogs an I took a quick stroll over to the old reservoir
at Keppel Cove.

Looking back down Glenridding Beck

This was the focal point of the water power facilities
that supported the Greenside Mining enterprise. Wainwright's book describes
an old leat that traverses the hillside, including a wooden section around
the crags. The remains of this can be seen by looking carefully. The O.S.Map
marks the end section (after the leat ends it's horizontal venture) as
a pipe, specifically "not a path", which is unusual.

[ Move your cursor over the photo to see the course of
the old leat ]

Seen from the ridges or from Catstycam above, the old
dam looks quite innocuous

but from this close up it is quite an imposing structure
created in pebbles and concrete.

Bethan adds scale to the photo.

We risk life and limb by descending alongside the fence

- - - o o o - - -

The old outlet pipe and valve mechanism can still
be seen.

The purpose of the dam was to restrain the water

not for a direct pipeline feed for the mines

but for controlling the release of the water into
the beck,

so that the onward flow could be increased

and decreased in line with water power demands

lower down the valley.

- - - o o o - - -

When you turn and look back, the enormity of the structure
and the size of the collapse becomes very apparent.

Upstream the grass has grown back where once there would
have been a lake.

Keppel Cove, once a natural mountain tarn, is now virtually
dry.

A heavy storm and excessive rainfall caused the natural
moraine dam to breach and the tarn to disappear in the winter of 1927.

The dam survived but was itself breached in the early
1930's and was never subsequently repaired.

This is a wider panorama including Catstycam, Keppel Cove
and the high ridge to Helvellyn, still partially covered in cloud.

From the cove I could see the last team making their way
down.

A prompt return to the shelter got me back in sufficient
time for their arrival.

"Team Labrador" . . . all the teams had 'doggy'
names as radio call signs.

On their arrival they were greeted by my two Labrador
retrievers as would seem appropriate for the occasion.

My two colleagues and I accompany the last team of the
fell.

Crossing yet another water course, we reach the old mine
complex.

The rather uniform grass on the fell side ahead is as
a result of reclamation work on the old spoil heaps.

The remaining quarry buildings have been converted into
hostels and bothies.

Last one off the fell . . . please close the gate !

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my
Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a
Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a nice
sunrise . . . it was the only wet morning of the week

An email received from one of the Sightsavers
participants (via the organisers):

“Just a note to express the thanks
of the team from the Heswall Rotary Club for the wonderful organisation
of the event over the last weekend. From the moment we met up
with you in the Ben Nevis car park to our departure at Llanberis
on Sunday afternoon everything ran smoothly and efficiently. We
were reassured that all was being done for our safety and security
whilst we were on the mountains. We were impressed with the friendliness
and attitude of your staff on the hills, especially those who
greeted us with a smile and a welcome whilst themselves suffering
atrocious conditions of driving rain and gale force winds for
hour after hour. This is the third time that our club has entered
a team into this event and its good to see that your standards
have not diminished”

[ Great to have feed back, but I know there
were others higher and wetter than I was at Keppel Cove . . .
RmH ]